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Acquired Experience

“In considering how a pilot’s job description has changed from the hands-on era to the current era of programming and monitoring computers, old timers suggest that today’s pilots better be careful or they might program themselves out of a job. I don’t think that there are many old aviators from the hands-on era who envy the pilots of these aerial transport yawners. There are a multitude of pilots flying the jets today who haven’t had the privilege of getting scared. The greatness of an airline doesn’t come from its large size, or all the updated equipment. It’s the employees who make the best of what they have and dedicate their hearts and soul to making it work. That’s what makes a resplendent airline.”–The Golden Years of Flying by Capt Tex Searle

In my career with PIA as a captain and co-pilot, I flew with 144 captains on three different aircraft. It was a great opportunity to acquire hands on experience which is one of the problems facing commercial aviation; lack of experience for the role assigned. In North America, an airline co-pilot flies with one captain for some length of time which in my opinion robs him of worthwhile experience imparted through a change of captains. I have compiled a list of the seniors who taught me to stay alive:

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16 thoughts on “Acquired Experience”

Asaulakum sir . I thing at the age 8 in
1974 I was on a PIA 707 from Lahore
To London with my mother . I remember a I long haired
White complexed young man in the
Right hand seat .
I gather this was capt m salim … am
I correct ????

Captain M. Salim was my senior in PIA. He could not be sitting on the right seat on a 707 in 1974 as he was a qualified captain on that aircraft at that time and able to sit on the left hand pilot seat in the cockpit.

Thank you for your reply
To my question … I met
Capt abdullah baig at Heathrow in 1981 and there was a British pilot in the room next door this is why I have asked you this question .
I was seeing capt baig over taking up flying but to my subprise he suggested a
Flight engineer course .
He was a lovely man who I meet with my father at PIA
Flight ops T3 in Dec 1981.
As you know capt baig has
Since passed away in 1987

Capt. Abdullah was given a ground job at London Heathrow Airport after his retirement from flying. That is all I know about him after he left Karachi. I am aware of foreign pilots and flight engineers serving in PIA around the time I flew in command on the 707, in fact I flew with five or six ex-BOAC captains who were in PIA before I became a captain on that aircraft. I also flew with non-Pakistani flight engineers in 1980-81 probably.

The last time I flew on a PIA 707 was in august 1989 320 C from Karachi to
Lahore . The aircraft was being tossed about in flight en route to Lahore it seemed the aircraft was sinking like going downwards completely dark outside . I started to hold hands with my mother or stupidly my uncle but the aircraft settled off .
After I we started getting off the 707 I asked the flight engineer I presume he was a FE how about how turbulent the flight was I got a zero reply from him.
The last PIA 707s that used to come into Heathrow as I remember was two cargo types AP AXG. AP BBK as I remember I alway used to wait for there approach to Heathrow between
1997 /1999.
Unfortunately did not get the chance to load unload cargo on these because I was in another job . But between 2010 until 2015 I was loading unloading cargo on PIA 777 AP BHV. AP BHW
AP BID. Plus BGL BGJ AP BGK
Etc I did one PIA 747 367 AP BGG which had bad engine problems when we commenced a pushback at Heathrow in 2011 one of the engines were not spinning or starting .
I feel PIA have many maintenance issues on the 777 .. drive systems don’t work … load sheets can be very upsetting were human remains are loaded into hold 5 and 300 baggage are put on top of them .. humans remains are put on cargo pallets with heavy cargo put on them which I feel is in human .
To me PIA is not going in the right direction

The loading of the PIA 777 ie the way
The containers and pallets are loaded what nil fits are must be in the hold if they are any .
The amount of loose baggage is loaded in hold five etc ie is faxed by Karachi and was never done by Danata … this is the direct reason why we would question that there are 2 or 4 nil fits maybe in the front and rear cargo holds and there putting 300 baggage into hold 5.
PIA have very odd loading instructions which is making a easy job hard for the appointed ground handlers. The guys that I used to work for sometimes tried to get away from doing the PIA because the hard work that was involved even though the white guys were pretty hard working then the Pakistani and Indians who were extremely lazy .
However sir I have never seen any pilot come into the cargo hold and question on cargo that is being loaded like ie human remains or question certain things on pallets condition and bin conditions that might worry him .
However the ramp operation is donkey work if the containers are demaged or pallets are uneven etc or there is no drive system working PIA have no interest in safety .
Tommrow you might find dogs and cats mixed up with human remains in hold 5 … veg being put with again with human remains etc .